Disk-sorting machine



T. ALLATT.

DISK SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 29, I919.

1,337,031 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

A INVENTOR (J 5 A TTOHNE) T.'ALLATT.

DISK SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZQ, 1919.

1,337,031 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY T. ALLATT.

DISK SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1919.

1,337,031 Patented Apr. 13, 1920'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 INVENTOR ffl/iw MW ATT RNE UNTTED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ALLATT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL CORK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISK-SORTING MACHINE.

Application filed March 29, 1919.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ALLATT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of New York, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disk-Sorting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to sorting machines for disks, such as for instance disks of cork or the like, which are used in the manufacture of crown-corks.

Before these disks are placed into the metallic caps of the crown-corks, they must be carefully examined in order to remove from the mass such as are defective or imperfect. In examining these disks, heretofore the attendant had to pick up the same one after the other. Sometimes the disks were placed onto a belt conveyer, the attendant being able to examine one of the faces of the disks, the same or another attendant picking the same up and inverting them in order to inspect the other faces thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a sorting device, which automatically turns over the disks traveling on a belt conveyer, one attendant examining the same in front of the turning means, and another attendant in rear of said turning means, so that both faces of the disks may be inspected and the defective or objectionable ones removed without turning the same over.

Vith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a disk sorting machine, constructed in accordance with the present invention: Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Serial No. 286,073.

taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, on a larger scale; Fig. at is a side elevation of the turning means; and Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, also on a larger scale.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a frame, mounted upon legs or standards 11. In this frame are rotatably journaled rollers 12, over which passes a belt conveyer 12, that receives the disks to be sorted. The means for feeding these disks onto the conveyer has not been shown, nor has the means been disclosed which serves to distribute or spread the disks throughout the width of the conveyer, as the same do not form part of the present invention. The acting portion of the conveyer, that is to say that part thereof which transports the disks, travels in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and is divided into two sections, one of the same, denoted by the numeral 13, being arranged in a substantially horizontal plane that is located higher than the plane in which the section 14 of the conveyer moves, or in other words a step is formed in the conveyer.

The disk turning or reversing means is disposed adjacent the step mentioned, and includes two frame sections 15, which are mounted upon the sides of the conveyer on the main frame 10, and form bearings for a pluralitv of rollers presently to be described. ne of these rollers, denoted by the numeral 16, is provided throughout its length with a resilient covering 17, made, for instance, by winding upon the said roller a rubber tube. This roller extends transversely of the conveyer, its journals 18 being rotatably arranged in arms 19 that are fixed to a shaft 20, the latter being rotatahly mounted in the frames 15 and provided with a lever 21, that is adapted to engage, for a purpose hereinafter to be described, a hook 22 upon a. bracket 23, the latter being fixed to a tie-rod 24, connecting the frame sections 15. The journals 18 extend into slots in the frames 15, to guide the movement of the roller 16, when the same is lifted so as to bring the lever 21 into engagement with the hook 22. The ends of the roller 16 are provided with flanges 26, which are in frictional contact with the section 13 of the belt conveyer, whereby the said roller is caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown adjacent it in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The distance between the upper surface of the section 13 of the conveyer and the resilient covering 17 of the roller 16 is less than the thickness of a single diskon the conveyer.

The roller 16 is held in engagement with the conveyer by springs 27 that are in engagement with the arms 19 and the frame 10.

With the roller 16 coiiperates a, preferably, longitudinally ribbed roller 28, disposed in front of the roller 16 and journaled in the frames 15. This roller is of a smaller diameter than the roller 16 and is rotated, in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the roller 16, by means hereinafter described, its surface speed being higher than that of the roller 16, say for instance three times the speed of the larger roller. Thesmaller roller is located at a disthe thickness of a disk. The roller 29 is disposed somewhat in front of the roller 28. The rollers 28 and 29 are rotated in the same direction, for instance, by a chain 30 which runs over sprocket wheels 31 and 32, connected to the rollers 28 and 29, respectively. To the roller 28 is furthermore attached a pulley 33, that receives motion from any suitable source of power by the intermediary of a belt 34. The rollers 28 and 29 rotate at the same speed, the sprocket wheels 31 and 32 being of the same size and containing the same number of teeth.

In front of'the frames 15 is disposed an inclined plate member 35, that is attached to the said frames and leads down to the section 14 of the conveyer.

The operation of this device is as follows :The normal positions of the elements of the device are shown in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings, in which the roller 16 is in its lower position and is driven by the belt 12, its surface speed corresponding to that of the said belt.

The disks are spread, before they reach the roller 16, by suitable means and distributed so as to travel but one deep. As the disks pass under the roller 16, the resilient covering of the latter is somewhat compressed at the point of contact and the disks advanced until they are brought be tween the roller 16 and the roller 28 cooperating therewith. These rollers rotate in opposite directions and lift the disks bodily from the section 13 of the conveyer, the disks so lifted standing on the ribbed roller 28. when issuing from the two coiiperating rollers. and the roller 29 preventing the same from tilting forward. As the disks now course of one disk in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

It appears from this figure that the exposed face 36 of a disk 37 faces the roller 16 not only when on the section 13 of the conveyer but also when standing on the roller 28. When in this position, the opposite face 38 of the disk faces the roller 29, and as now the roller 28 advances the disk the latter will slide down on its face 36 on the inclined plate 35 andtravel on the same face on the section 14 of the conveyer.

From the foregoing it appears that the attendant, examining the disks while on the section 13 of the conveyer, is able to inspect one of the faces of the disks and the attendant, examining the disks on the section 14 of the conveyer, the other faces thereof.

If, during the operation of the machine, foreign matter collects between the rollers 16 and 28, it becomes necessary to lift the roller 16 to remove such matter, this may be accomplished by shifting the lever 21 and bringing the same into engagement with the hook 22 on the bracket 23. When these elements are disengaged, the springs \27 re turn the roller 16toits normal, operative position. These springs serve mainly to hold the roller 16 in contact with the belt conveyer section 13, but allow the said roller ing a conveyer of the endless belt type having its acting portion divided into two sections, one of said sections being located in a. plane lower than the other one, means for bodily lifting the disks from the upper sec tion of said conveyer and turning the same over, and an inclined plate leading from said turning means to the lower section of said conveyer, on which. the disks slide onto the said lower section.

3. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their fiat faces, and two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, said last-mentioned roller rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to rest on the fiat faces opposite to those on which they previously traveled on said conveyer.

' 4. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer of the endless belt type having its acting portion divided into two sections, one of said sections being located in a plane lower than the other one, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above the upper section of said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, an inclined plate leading from said rollers to the lower section of said conveyer, the roller on which the disks are caused to stand edgewise rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to be brought onto said inclined plate on the flat faces opposite to those on which they traveled on the upper section of said conveyer.

5. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their flat faces, means for bodily lifting the disks from said conveyer and turning the same over, and means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the face on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

6. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer of the endless belt type having its acting portion divided into two sections, one of said sections being located in a plane lower than the other one, means for bodily lifting the disks from the upper section of said conveyer and turning the same over, an inclined plate leading from said turning means to the lower section of said conveyer on .which the disks slide onto the said lower section, and means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought onto said inclined plate on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

7. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their fiat faces, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, said last-mentioned roller rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to rest on the flat faces opposite to those on which they traveled previously on said conveyer, and means cooperating with said lifting means for preventin the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

8. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer of the endless belt type having its acting portion divided into two sections, one of said sections being located in a plane lower than he other one, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above the upper section of said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, an inclined plate leading from said rollers to the lower section of said conveyer, the roller on which the disks are caused to stand edgewise rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to be brought onto said inclined plate on the flat faces opposite to those on which they travel on the upper section of said conveyer, and means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

9. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their flat faces, means for bodily lifting the disks from said conveyer and turning the same over, and rotary means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

10. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer of the endless belt type .having its acting portion divided into two sections, one of said sections being located in a plane lower than the other one, means for bodily lifting the disks from the upper section of said conveyer and turning the same over, an inclined plate leading from said turning means to the lower section of said conveyer on which the disks slide onto the said lower section, and rotary means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

11. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their flat faces, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, said last-mentioned roller rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to rest' on the flat faces opposite to those on which the previously traveled on said conveyer,

and rotary means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on thein a plane lower than the other one, two

oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above the upper section of said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on. one of said rollers, an

inclined plate leading from said rollers I the lower section of said conveyer, the roller on which the disks are caused to stand edgewise rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to be brought onto said inclined plate on the flat faces opposite to those on which they traveled on the upper section of said conveyer, and rotary means cooperating with said lifting means for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation.

13. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyer on which the disks travel on one of their fiat faces, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, said last mentioned roller being disposed in front of and being of a smaller diameter than the other one of said rollers, said smaller roller rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to rest on the flat faces opposite to those on which they previously traveled on said conveyer, and means disposed above said smaller roller and in front of the larger roller for preventing-the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation, said last-mentioned means being disposed from said smaller roller at a distance that is smaller than the diameter of a disk and from said larger roller at a distance that is larger than the thickness of a disk.

14. A machine for sorting disks, comprising a conveyor on which the disks travel on one. of their flat faces, two oppositely rotating rollers receiving the disks from and lifting the same above said conveyer so as to stand edgewise on one of said rollers, said, last mentioned roller being disposed in front of and being of a smaller diameter than the other one of said rollers, said smaller roller rotating in a direction to turn the disks over so as to rest on the fiat faces opposite to those on which they previously traveled on said conveyer, and rotary means disposed above said smaller roller and in front of the larger roller for preventing the disks from tilting so as to be brought to rest on the faces on which they traveled before the lifting operation, said last-mentioned means being disposed from said smaller roller at a distance that is smaller than the diameter of a disk and from said larger roller at a distance that is larger than the thickness of a disk.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 11th day of Feb, A. D., 1919.

THOMAS ALLATT. 

